A blog of two mates who like to drink and make beer. Find tasting notes, flavors of the month and other information of the latest home brews.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 21:Back on Track and Back on Bock Dunkels

So, after feeling a bit under the weather yesterday, the Bailey's infused potato bake (it really does taste like Bailey's...Success!), a couple of beers to knock me out and a good night's rest have allowed me to pick up a bit better today. Then the weather decided to put on a good showing, so any thoughts of laying low today got thrown out. I realised I hadn't even visited the Berlin Wall yet, so did a tour of the east side gallery, where artists have taken over a part of the remaining wall, then keeping with the theme went to Checkpoint Charlie and visited a site called Topographie der Terrors, which goes through the rise and times of the Nazi reign in Berlin (and also has the Berlin Wall as a backdrop to it).

Have made it back to Jaimi's, with the last of the supplies we need for a duck we are going to bake tonight as one of his last meals in this place. Have just prepared some vegies to go with the bake and found I have time to get a beer in. So pulled out the Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel, which is one from my list, and a brewery I have found to be alright with the beers I have tried from them thus far. Smell has some sweetness to it, and while there is a bit of the syrupy texture from the other cola dark beers I have tried here, there is definitely a roasted malt character along with alcohol (7.1%) to allow me to label this a real beer. There is a bit of an aftertaste of alcohol, which is to be expected, but would have hoped for a bit more flavour in the body to equalise/round this out. Still, it doesn't taste much like cola, so is a win in my book.

So the duck is crisping up nicely and there is some fat to bake the vegies in (hope that is right mum), so it seems to be going ok (apart from a slight burn to my hand [least I am drinking to dull any pain]). I am now going for the Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock, which is another Doppelbock Dunkle on my list of beers to try. Had to work hard to get a head on this beer, so was a little unsure (these cola beers are making me paranoid now) but there is definitely some roastedness going on, again, to make it a real beer. Glad my beer-dar is working on these beers I wanted to try. Is some sweetness and syrupy texture again, but the roasted malt and alcohol come through. Still, better balance of flavours between malt and alcohol (6.9%) to improve it from the previous beer, so enjoying this one a bit more (Bang! Even getting my order of beer drinking correct).

So, as I finish off this beer, and we are nearly 3/4 through cooking the duck, I'll sign off and let you know tomorrow how the duck ended up. May also add a bit more Bailey's when reheating the potato bake to see if I can get more than just a hint of it from it, and probably have another Bailey's after dinner. Sounds like a good plan to me. Lucky I didn't have lunch, so gonna smash this bird when it is done, and again, these beers can make me feel a bit pissed.

Stass: Like all types of beer* (*there are a few exceptions). Sometimes it's an ale, sometimes a stout and sometimes it's a larger. Is willing to give anything a try and enjoys tasting something new.

A good beer to Stass is one that sets out with a clear goal in mind and achieves that. Whether that goal is to be a thirst quenching beer to be had around the barbecue with a few mates, or to explore the depth of flavours in a detailed scotch ale.